Site Created By Elliott Bartels 2009

Land History

1927 purchased 1713 acres of land
1929 purchased 20 acres of land
1930 purchased 410 acres of land

From the Newspaper:County to Buy More Land for Park Purposes, Pittsburgh Press, 5/10/28
46 acre farm of James McKinney valued at $200/acre for golf course
County Buys Land for Park Tracks, Pittsburgh Press, 9/9/30
George Wittmer and W T & R W Sample $250.00/acres 388 acresFrom Pine Township book:John B. Cole and his wife Matilda owned Cole's Tavern. They farmed an area which today is included in the boundaries of North Park.
William McKinney (1802 - 1875) Sometime after 1866 he bought 120 acres in Pine Township from Richard Pearce. This parcel later became a portion of North Park. William McKinney (born 1855), son of William McKinney (1802 - 1875) farmed property that is now a part of North Park. It is part of the golf course and the barn is still on McKinney Rd and was used by the county to house the County police horses. This is most likely the same parcel as above.
July 10, 1969 the County of Allegheny expanded the 2,268 acres of North Park by purchasing the 232-acre tract known as the Richard Horning estate. From Marjean Blackham-Irwin Road:Irwin Road was named for a family by the name of Irwin. We bought a corner at Rt. 910 and Irwin from a descendent residing in Ohio approximately 28 years ago. There also was a fruit/vegetable market at the corner of Irwin & Rt. 910 that ran until the early 1900's. The road (Irwin) went directly between the farm house (Braun) on the left coming down Irwin, and the barn. The bank barn foundation is still in existence, but the road was changed at some point. There was also a black smith shop at the intersection of Irwin and Jackson Roads above where the barrier to the valley now exists. Two orphanages were run by the Pittsburgh Bible Institute, one on Irwin Road (boys), one that was demolished with the Heights of N. Park plan that was of stone construction, 4 stories high up on the hill at the back of the newer entrance to the Heights Plan. It was occupied after orphanages were no longer needed or privately run by seasonal missionaries and it was used by PBI as a food preparation facility for summer rallies and missionary meetings they had. The one on Irwin Road was clapboard, 3 stories high and was up a driveway to the right (still existing) close to where the boundary of the recent purchase of land for the conservancy. The foundation was stone and some of that is still there. It sat up on a knoll above the bridge that 1st crosses Irwin Run. It was demolished in the mid 70's due to kids/parkers using it for parties - camp outs, etc. and creating havoc for the police. It was never occupied while I've lived on Irwin Rd.
From the Third Annual Report County of Allegheny Bureau of Parks 1929Burns & Anderson 12.2 acres under condemnation-Lake Number 1
New junction of Wildwood and Ingomar and relocation of Babcock
E.W. Henderson 63.044 acres under condemnation. Access to two properties now in county ownership inaccessible otherwise and play field.
Harry McKinney 43.320 acres-golf course
Theodore H. Doehla 39.0 acres
Moon heirs 63.365 acres-Lake Number 3 and relocation of Ingomar Road
Christ Lampman 1.0 acres-Golf #9From the Fourth Annual Report County of Allegheny Bureau of Parks 1930Henderson-east of Babcock, $500.00/acre fine groves, level plateau, and fine stand of Jersey Pine
Proposed curve elimination of Babcock
Dinky Links and makeshift swimming pool-not dignified entrance to park
Wildwood filling station
Mary Sample-dance hall, two dwellings, riding academy in hemlocks overlooking Pine Creek, rocky dell, hemlocks, $250.00/acre
Rolshouse property adjacent to Sample property
K&J Kline and E.A. and E.K. Cohen-between Henderson and Sample properties
George Grubb and C.E. Baine-Kummer Road areaFrom the Fifth Annual Report County of Allegheny Bureau of Parks 1931North Park has been enlarged by the purchase of two parcels of land comprising 54 acres, bringing the total acreage of this Park up to 2,253.97 acres.
In order to make possible access to the plateaus and hills of the Pearce, Wagner and Guyton properties—approximately five hundred acres of wooded hills and ridges to the north and east of the Pearce Mill Road in North Park—your Board purchased 53 acres of land from the Evangelization Society of the Pittsburgh Bible Institute at $250.00 per acre. This new purchase not only possesses geological unity and is partly covered with a fine stand of timber, but offers the only easy access to the adjacent Park properties, now a bird sanctuary, coursed with primitive trails, and, also, containing the beaver meadow.
Negotiations were completed for the purchase of one acre of land from George F. Grubbs at $500.00 per acre, primarily intended for an easier township road connection from the relocated Kummer Road in North Park, with its continuation outside the Park.
These two purchases complete all contemplated additions to North Park and make possible the completion of a general plan, comprehensively dealing with its driveway system and location of major recreational groups and features.